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***Official Galaxy Nexus Pre-Release speculation thread**

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burntorangefan said:
All good points. But at the end of the day for me, it comes down to having an open platform for development (on VZ) that can be updated when they're available. I DO think the screen will be better, but the RAZR is probably no slouch. I'm with you on flashing ROMs, but just because I don't do it as much anymore (especially on the T-bolt) doesn't mean I might not get the hankering down the road. And to be honest, I think the NFC thing is being downplayed a little in both forums. I don't know if NFC is as simple as a retro battery, I'm not sophisticated enough to understand those issues. Having said that, if it's not available on RAZR I think it would be a big deal for me because I do think that it's the future in the US (similar to Asia now). Either way, like you I plan on holding both and then making a decision. But it's gonna take a lot to get me to go the other way!
Click to expand...

yeah, like you, i don't know enough about the NFC stuff to know whether a retro fit is easily accomplished. it's something i'm going to look into further. right now, i agree with what others have said in that NFC is kinda gimmicky. BUT, i think in the next year, it's gonna have some really useful applications, and i don't want a phone that won't be able to utilize it.

nhindian said:
Huh? The things you gave credit to Nexus for can't just be fixed with software. Screen (which I don't think is a 'slight advantage'), processor, non-fixed battery.

Call quality is a complete unknown, so from what you listed, the only 'definite' advantage that the RAZR has (which isn't exactly definite either) is build quality.

Add in Android 4.0 out of the box and unlocked bootloader and I don't see how it's a slam dunk.

:confused::confused:
Click to expand...

for the screen, i don't think (personally, of course) that the differences are going to be significantly noticeable on a 4.3 or 4.6" screen. this is particularly true for me because, as i said, i won't be using it for movies and shows and stuff like that where true HD is important.

processor is an unknown. right now, both are clocked at 1.2. i don't know whether oc'ing the 4460 on the GNex (which we'll be able to do) will result in a significant improvement over the 4430 clocked at 1.2 (which we won't be able to oc on the Razr cuz it's locked down).

nonremoveable batt is also unknown. right now, the reports are that the Razr has better batt life.

build quality and aesthetics are definitely something that figures into MY buying decision. IMO (which is personal preference), the Razr wins right now. maybe the GNex will feel sturdy enough, given the reports of an interior aluminum frame. i'll just have to see when i hold it. but, aesthetically, the GNex is kinda blah, and looks cheapy from the pics. maybe holding it will change my perception.

ICS on board is a big plus. but, Razr will absolutely get ICS pretty quickly. and, again, because of ICS' native ability to delete system apps, ICS on the Razr will allow me to get really close to AOSP. so, to me, that's close to a wash.

unlocked BL is a plus, as well. but for me, it's not a HUGE plus.

i forgot about storage. ASSUMING vzw's GNex is the 32 gb version, the Razr still beats it with 16gb on board, plus capacity for 32 gb sdcard. i don't really like the idea of cloud storage. of course, as has been discussed, there are "work arounds" for the GNex. but, for a $300-$400 device, i don't really want to spend 2 years "working around" it.

overall, i think part of my "cooling" toward the GNex has to do with the fact that it isn't what it could have been (and what many of us feel it should have been) as far as specs. you're correct that, OTB, the GNex has the advantage - but it's only slight. and, once you get it out of the box, and use it for a few months, Razr has the ability to catch up in certain aspects.

i'm not in any way saying that the Razr is better than the GNex. i'm just saying that they are pretty close to each other right now. each of them have pluses and minuses. i'm hoping that once i hold them side by side, and play with them, that a clear winner will present itself.
 
eyetek said:
I looked into the pogoplug idea and in fact they just released a new pogoplug mobile device this week. It allows you to connect a SD card or HD via USB to your router so the main computer does not have to be turned on. Price of the device is $79 and is available now. It also allows an automatic behind the scene backup of your files on the android device back to the storage device.

I've done some review searches tonight and I'm impressed so far, I may pull the trigger on this one for a full service private home based cloud option. :cool:
Click to expand...

The benefit to the mobile one is that IIRC it does auto backup of the photos and video you take, which is cool I guess. But it only has 1 USB port to connect drives to, vs 4, although it also has an SD card slot. The original Pogoplug I believe can be found almost as cheap if you shop around, so just keep that in mind before you decide.

And back to NFC- people keep bringing up the fact that there aren't many uses right now. Ok, fine. But if I'm going to be stuck with my next phone for a full 2 years now, I need to be thinking 2 years down the line. That's a long time, in phone-world. And I really am interested in Google wallet or a similar product, in fact have been waiting for something like that for a long time.

Now, maybe someone can answer this for my. Assuming my Samsung Tab 10.1 get ICS (oh please, let it be soon), can I add NFC to it in that sort of sticker thing so I could use the beam app between that and my phone? How does that work?
 
huskerkate said:
overall, i think part of my "cooling" toward the GNex has to do with the fact that it isn't what it could have been (and what many of us feel it should have been) as far as specs. you're correct that, OTB, the GNex has the advantage - but it's only slight. and, once you get it out of the box, and use it for a few months, Razr has the ability to catch up in certain aspects.
Click to expand...

I've been thinking about this issue of specs not being what we all wanted a lot in the last few days. I think you're seeing a convergence of Apple and Google, in that I really think there's a push to make the OS smarter rather than just simply more robust from a processing perspective. In many ways I think that Google has taken a page from Apple's book, a smart page, IMO. They're relying on the total user experience of ICS being exceptional, rather than engaging in an arms race. Everyone knows that Apple specs don't shake a stick at any of the high end Android devices. However, virtually everyone agrees that the Apple user experience is terrific. It feels more like a holistic approach to the user experience and not just a race to see who is getting the next quad core first, who's getting to 2 GB of RAM, etc...With that approach, I feel at ease with the specs that are provided and if we get better battery life from a lower clocked processor, HD videos and a great end user experience like I think we'll get, I'm a very happy camper. I'm past the arms race at this point.
 
Removing apps is not close to AOSP. The UI changes are a lot more radical. If the bootloader on the RAZR was unlocked I'd be far more interested. I'm sick of changing one file or changing a line of code and having to SBF.

The OG Droid is still supported by several devs whilst the DX is fizzling out already.
 
burntorangefan said:
I've been thinking about this issue of specs not being what we all wanted a lot in the last few days. I think you're seeing a convergence of Apple and Google, in that I really think there's a push to make the OS smarter rather than just simply more robust from a processing perspective. In many ways I think that Google has taken a page from Apple's book, a smart page, IMO. They're relying on the total user experience of ICS being exceptional, rather than engaging in an arms race. Everyone knows that Apple specs don't shake a stick at any of the high end Android devices. However, virtually everyone agrees that the Apple user experience is terrific. It feels more like a holistic approach to the user experience and not just a race to see who is getting the next quad core first, who's getting to 2 GB of RAM, etc...With that approach, I feel at ease with the specs that are provided and if we get better battery life from a lower clocked processor, HD videos and a great end user experience like I think we'll get, I'm a very happy camper. I'm past the arms race at this point.
Click to expand...

absolutely true! Panda (who works for Google) has said several times that the focus has been on ICS, and improving the user experience, not necessarily putting out a higher-spec'd device. i am pretty excited to see what ICS holds.
 
gapi said:
If everyone suddenly had a change of heart and stopped tethering out of contract nothing would change.
If no one had ever tethered out of contract nothing would change.

Verizon would still keep adjusting plans to raise their income in any way they can.
We are in "The good ole days" now.

To blame the loss of unlimited data plans on the tether boys and girls is false. Its just an excuse for Verizon to feel warm and fuzzy about doing it.
Click to expand...

And that's more true now than ever as the newest smartphones can and will pull as much data back and forth as casual browsing and e-mailing you tended to tether for before. Just a little easier to type e-mails and such on a notebook tethered.

One thing I haven't quite figured out though is what Verizons LTE for the home strategy is?? They have more or less stopped investment in FiOS and that seemed to go down about the exact same time they were about to go full swing into LTE expansion. I have always figured they gave up on FiOS as they realized just how capable LTE was and decided to go all in on it for home and all. Doubt they would offer this though until they found a way to do IPTV and such over LTE and that would probably tend to require CDMA air they owned to be switched to LTE also and tri-band LTE devices and such.

I would tend to prefer a dumb pipe though and have IPTV be something offered direct to me by content providers one day.
 
huskerkate said:
yeah, like you, i don't know enough about the NFC stuff to know whether a retro fit is easily accomplished. it's something i'm going to look into further. right now, i agree with what others have said in that NFC is kinda gimmicky. BUT, i think in the next year, it's gonna have some really useful applications, and i don't want a phone that won't be able to utilize it.



for the screen, i don't think (personally, of course) that the differences are going to be significantly noticeable on a 4.3 or 4.6" screen. this is particularly true for me because, as i said, i won't be using it for movies and shows and stuff like that where true HD is important.

processor is an unknown. right now, both are clocked at 1.2. i don't know whether oc'ing the 4460 on the GNex (which we'll be able to do) will result in a significant improvement over the 4430 clocked at 1.2 (which we won't be able to oc on the Razr cuz it's locked down).

nonremoveable batt is also unknown. right now, the reports are that the Razr has better batt life.

build quality and aesthetics are definitely something that figures into MY buying decision. IMO (which is personal preference), the Razr wins right now. maybe the GNex will feel sturdy enough, given the reports of an interior aluminum frame. i'll just have to see when i hold it. but, aesthetically, the GNex is kinda blah, and looks cheapy from the pics. maybe holding it will change my perception.

ICS on board is a big plus. but, Razr will absolutely get ICS pretty quickly. and, again, because of ICS' native ability to delete system apps, ICS on the Razr will allow me to get really close to AOSP. so, to me, that's close to a wash.

unlocked BL is a plus, as well. but for me, it's not a HUGE plus.

i forgot about storage. ASSUMING vzw's GNex is the 32 gb version, the Razr still beats it with 16gb on board, plus capacity for 32 gb sdcard. i don't really like the idea of cloud storage. of course, as has been discussed, there are "work arounds" for the GNex. but, for a $300-$400 device, i don't really want to spend 2 years "working around" it.

overall, i think part of my "cooling" toward the GNex has to do with the fact that it isn't what it could have been (and what many of us feel it should have been) as far as specs. you're correct that, OTB, the GNex has the advantage - but it's only slight. and, once you get it out of the box, and use it for a few months, Razr has the ability to catch up in certain aspects.

i'm not in any way saying that the Razr is better than the GNex. i'm just saying that they are pretty close to each other right now. each of them have pluses and minuses. i'm hoping that once i hold them side by side, and play with them, that a clear winner will present itself.
Click to expand...



From what I have read you don't actually delete the app you just disable them. I could be wrong tho.
 
ssean227 said:
From what I have read you don't actually delete the app you just disable them. I could be wrong tho.
Click to expand...


That was my understanding as well. It's almost like the freeze feature in titanium. The app is still there but you can make parts of it stop using data.
 
huskerkate said:
You're correct, afaik. But, by disabling them, they don't utilize any ram, which gives the performance boost. At least that's my understanding...
Click to expand...

We still don't know if OEMs have the ability to prevent an app from being blocked either.
 
burntorangefan said:
Mods, feel free to move if this doesn't belong in this thread...

So I'm doing research on NFC, vendor availability and the like and I stumbled across this article:

Non-Sprint Nexus S Users Access Google Wallet App, Sans Security | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

which makes me quite reticent to install custom ROMs if using NFC...which would sort of take away the whole unlocked bootloader for ROMs discussion. All of that predicated, of course, on widespread NFC availability...or if you were planning on using it in the first place (which I'm kind of stoked about).

At any rate, just weighing options between GN and RAZR and IF NFC becomes commonplace in the next year or so, custom ROMs would necessarily go bye bye for me!
Click to expand...


I thought about this a week or two ago and mentioned it in this thread.
 
huskerkate said:
yeah, like you, i don't know enough about the NFC stuff to know whether a retro fit is easily accomplished. it's something i'm going to look into further. right now, i agree with what others have said in that NFC is kinda gimmicky. BUT, i think in the next year, it's gonna have some really useful applications, and i don't want a phone that won't be able to utilize it.



for the screen, i don't think (personally, of course) that the differences are going to be significantly noticeable on a 4.3 or 4.6" screen. this is particularly true for me because, as i said, i won't be using it for movies and shows and stuff like that where true HD is important.

processor is an unknown. right now, both are clocked at 1.2. i don't know whether oc'ing the 4460 on the GNex (which we'll be able to do) will result in a significant improvement over the 4430 clocked at 1.2 (which we won't be able to oc on the Razr cuz it's locked down).

nonremoveable batt is also unknown. right now, the reports are that the Razr has better batt life.

build quality and aesthetics are definitely something that figures into MY buying decision. IMO (which is personal preference), the Razr wins right now. maybe the GNex will feel sturdy enough, given the reports of an interior aluminum frame. i'll just have to see when i hold it. but, aesthetically, the GNex is kinda blah, and looks cheapy from the pics. maybe holding it will change my perception.

ICS on board is a big plus. but, Razr will absolutely get ICS pretty quickly. and, again, because of ICS' native ability to delete system apps, ICS on the Razr will allow me to get really close to AOSP. so, to me, that's close to a wash.

unlocked BL is a plus, as well. but for me, it's not a HUGE plus.

i forgot about storage. ASSUMING vzw's GNex is the 32 gb version, the Razr still beats it with 16gb on board, plus capacity for 32 gb sdcard. i don't really like the idea of cloud storage. of course, as has been discussed, there are "work arounds" for the GNex. but, for a $300-$400 device, i don't really want to spend 2 years "working around" it.

overall, i think part of my "cooling" toward the GNex has to do with the fact that it isn't what it could have been (and what many of us feel it should have been) as far as specs. you're correct that, OTB, the GNex has the advantage - but it's only slight. and, once you get it out of the box, and use it for a few months, Razr has the ability to catch up in certain aspects.

i'm not in any way saying that the Razr is better than the GNex. i'm just saying that they are pretty close to each other right now. each of them have pluses and minuses. i'm hoping that once i hold them side by side, and play with them, that a clear winner will present itself.
Click to expand...

Just my own personal thoughts-- I think that NFC has a lot of potential use. I think it depends on how many entities out there decide to adopt use..i.e. app developers, banks, vendors that will let us use NFC to charge, etc....

For my own personal use...i'd like to have the option of switching out a battery in case i'm stuck somewhere where I won't be able to charge. Was in a conf. in a arena in ATL recently--bad reception inside sucked my battery. Luckily had a spare battery.

Personally, tired of all things Motorola since i've had a DX and a DX2. Well more specifically, really tired of BLUR. Although, Smart Actions (or whatever it's called) does look pretty interesting from Moto's end.

Biggest reason for me to lean towards the GNex is that you'll always get updates first and (to me at least) that's a big deal! Just my thoughts.
 
Well, getting ready to do football & NASCAR and my Cajun GF's gumbo and let the posts pile up till tomorrow.

I have been looking at all kinds of different GN hands on videos and keep seeing repeated finger swipes and button presses needed to get responses.

I see face recognition fails too.

I keep hearing the words butter smooth but am seeing what would have me tossing it into a brick wall as hard as I can. Swipe, Swipe, Swipe, Swipe, Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap, OK there she goes............

I will be my own judge but gia mannetti! Maybe its stage fright nerves or sweaty palms but heck?
 
The_Chief said:
Looks like it's gonna be a great day, Gnexers!

If this phone DOES come out with 32GB memory, we are so hooked up it's almost ridiculous! ICS, HD screen, NFC, all that memory with 1080P video capture. And if this phone is as awesome as we all think it's gonna be, there should be no reason at all to root & ROM it!
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more
 
gapi said:
Well, getting ready to do football & NASCAR and my Cajun GF's gumbo and let the posts pile up till tomorrow.

I have been looking at all kinds of different GN hands on videos and keep seeing repeated finger swipes and button presses needed to get responses.

I see face recognition fails too.

I keep hearing the words butter smooth but am seeing what would have me tossing it into a brick wall as hard as I can. Swipe, Swipe, Swipe, Swipe, Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap, OK there she goes............

I will be my own judge but gia mannetti! Maybe its stage fright nerves or sweaty palms but heck?
Click to expand...

What videos were you looking at? Can you link us? I have not see what you are saying.
 
Just posted this on the size thread, but figured you guys would like it too.

Samsung GALAXY Nexus Visual Size Comparison

Size comparison for the Gnex (or any other phone). I compared it to the Razr and my D2 and didn't realize from the videos how thin both the Razt and the Gnex are! The Razr is unbelievably thin if this comparison is accurate. It looks like its just the thickness of the screen on my D2.

Don't get me wrong, i WILL be getting the SGN, BUT, that razr just boggles my mind.
 
huskerkate said:
yeah, like you, i don't know enough about the NFC stuff to know whether a retro fit is easily accomplished. it's something i'm going to look into further. right now, i agree with what others have said in that NFC is kinda gimmicky. BUT, i think in the next year, it's gonna have some really useful applications, and i don't want a phone that won't be able to utilize it.



for the screen, i don't think (personally, of course) that the differences are going to be significantly noticeable on a 4.3 or 4.6" screen. this is particularly true for me because, as i said, i won't be using it for movies and shows and stuff like that where true HD is important.

processor is an unknown. right now, both are clocked at 1.2. i don't know whether oc'ing the 4460 on the GNex (which we'll be able to do) will result in a significant improvement over the 4430 clocked at 1.2 (which we won't be able to oc on the Razr cuz it's locked down).

nonremoveable batt is also unknown. right now, the reports are that the Razr has better batt life.

build quality and aesthetics are definitely something that figures into MY buying decision. IMO (which is personal preference), the Razr wins right now. maybe the GNex will feel sturdy enough, given the reports of an interior aluminum frame. i'll just have to see when i hold it. but, aesthetically, the GNex is kinda blah, and looks cheapy from the pics. maybe holding it will change my perception.

ICS on board is a big plus. but, Razr will absolutely get ICS pretty quickly. and, again, because of ICS' native ability to delete system apps, ICS on the Razr will allow me to get really close to AOSP. so, to me, that's close to a wash.

unlocked BL is a plus, as well. but for me, it's not a HUGE plus.

i forgot about storage. ASSUMING vzw's GNex is the 32 gb version, the Razr still beats it with 16gb on board, plus capacity for 32 gb sdcard. i don't really like the idea of cloud storage. of course, as has been discussed, there are "work arounds" for the GNex. but, for a $300-$400 device, i don't really want to spend 2 years "working around" it.

overall, i think part of my "cooling" toward the GNex has to do with the fact that it isn't what it could have been (and what many of us feel it should have been) as far as specs. you're correct that, OTB, the GNex has the advantage - but it's only slight. and, once you get it out of the box, and use it for a few months, Razr has the ability to catch up in certain aspects.

i'm not in any way saying that the Razr is better than the GNex. i'm just saying that they are pretty close to each other right now. each of them have pluses and minuses. i'm hoping that once i hold them side by side, and play with them, that a clear winner will present itself.
Click to expand...

I guess I'm confused, because you say that your 'cooling off' is due to GNex not being what we thought, but then you reference the RAZR, which in my opinion is (spec-wise), an obvious downgrade in terms of screen, battery (1780mah in RAZR is more than 1750mah in Nexus, but figure in carrier bloat and non-removable battery and I don't think the RAZR is that much better. I would rather have a spare battery than 2 extra hours of life). Also, the source who said RAZR had better battery life never actually held the RAZR from my understanding, they just talked to someone who did. My worry about the RAZR's processor isn't just overclocking capability. The 4460 underclocked to 1.2ghz would operate much more efficiently than a 4430 overclocked to 1.2ghz, which would generate more heat and suck that (non-removable) battery faster. Given, this may not be the same 4430 that was in past Droids due to binning, but we don't know for sure.

I totally understand where you are coming from though in terms of personal preference. The RAZR is definitely sleek and rugged looking, that's for sure. But while you value that, I value performance, and those who put an additional case or sleeve on their phone is losing that aesthetic (hopefully the RAZR's durability would forsake the need for one, but it's an unknown). I have a Droid Incredible with a 2gb card, and don't really struggle with space. I stream all of my music through Google Music.

So, for me, the lack of SD card isn't much of a problem, especially if we get the 32gb version.
 
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